Seat-table unit



y 1952 A. G. DEAN ET AL 2,604,930

SEAT TABLE UNIT Filed Dec. 21, 1948 2 SHEETSSPEET 1 1! im HI INVENTORS.QIbeH CI. Decux 5/- BY W'LHiamH .Chandleqlr.

A TTORNE Y y 29, 1952 A. G. DEAN ET AL 2,604,930

SEAT TABLE UNIT Filed Dec. 21, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 "III IN VEN TORS*Qlberi CI. Demui/ By William HChandlesJr W Q- W A TTORNEY Patented July29, 1952 UNITED sTAT s PATENT OFFlCE I Albert G. Dean, Narberth, andWilliam H. I Chandlee; Jr., South Hampton, Pa., assignors to The BuddCompanmPhiladelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania ApplicationDecember 21, 1948, SerialNo. 66418.

This invention relates to seat-table units, especially adapted for seatssuch, forexample, as the fixed-position sofas of railway lounge cars,

and has for an object the provision of improvethe invention will beapparent from the following description of an exemplary embodiment,reference being madeto the accompanying drawings, wherein: 1 Figure 1 isa front perspective view of two table units assembled with a multi placeseat unit or sofa as in a lounge car;

Figure 2 is a partial top sembly shown in Fig. 1;; s

, Figure 3 is a plan viewfsi-milarto Fig. 2 but with parts removed toshow other parts in horizontal section below'; Figure 4 is a frontelevation; Figure 5 is a vertical section taken on the line plan view ofthe as- 5--5 of Fig. 2; V

Figure 6 is a section similar to Fig. 5 but showing the parts during theassembly stage;

Figure 7 is a horizontal section taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 5; i

Figure 8 is a vertical section-taken on the line 88ofF'ig.5;'-

Figure 9 is a partial horizontal section taken ,on the line 9-9 of Fig.6;

Figure 10 is a partial vertical'section taken on thelinel*l0ofFig;6;

Figure 11 is a side elevation of'a'modified form of table top anchorage;and

Figure 12 is a front elevation of themodified form shown in-Fig.11. v

The table comprises a top; ID, a pedestal H, a top anchorage l2, a basemember 1 3, and; a brace I 4 secured as by a bracket to any convenientstructure, such as the sidewall I! of a compartment. The compartmentfloor is designated by the numeral I8. The base member serves, eitherdirectly or indirectly, to fasten the pedestal to the floor so as toprovide vertical support and also to resist leaning movements of. thepedestal in one'or. more vertical planes, the specific base member I3illustrated being formed as a bracket llClaims. (01. 155-12 2 1 Iadapted to be secured as by screws 20 to the vertical front base plate2| of a fixed seat base 22. Preferably, the pedestalis rigidly securedto the base member 13, as by welding, to resist turning movementtherebetween. The rear side of the pedestal II is. fitted into andsecured, as by arc welding,'to'a concave forward edge of a plate l6, andthis. plate turn welded to the seat base 22, as shown especially inFigs. 5, 6 and 9. The top anchorage I2 in the first form of Figs. 1 to10 is made as a flat plate which is rigidly secured to the top endof thepedestal l l, as, for example, by weldingit to the horizontally'cutupper end of the pedestal. The anchorage plate [2 is secured to theunder side of the tabletop, by screws 24. The brace I4 is rigidlysecured to the rear side of the pedestal H, as by welding. Its

bracket 'plate I5, is secured to the rear'wall IT 'by screws 25. Thepedestal is curved forwardly "abovethe base member I3,beingapproximately turally assembled with 'a', fixed couch, asillustrated, the functioning of the simple unit alone will be describedfirst.

One of the primary objects in'designing an article of this type is tomake it'attr-active in appearance. This object is achieved here by thegraceful curve of the pedestal and the fact that only a single metaltube is used for the pedestal; also by the smaller tubular metal braceand the smooth fillet weld between the tubes. The attractiveappearanceis enhanced by chrome plating, enameling or the like.

On the mechanical side, the tubes provide great strength for size andweight, especially in torque, The base connection provides resistance toleaning movement in a vertical plane transverse to the brace tube; andthe brace resists movement in a vertical plane perpendicular to thefirst-mentioned plane, that is, the second plane through the axis of thetubular brace, besides which the brace prevents turning movement of thepedestal about a vertical axis. The

horizontally cutsurfac'e of the bent upper end of the pedestal providesa broad support'for the top anchorage-plate I 2 and, moreover,this'disposed in a fully horizontal position and the top secured on itsupper side, substantially only torque would be involved; but in theintermediate position shown, both torque and bending resistance of thepedestal act against side bending of the top. The strong resistance ofthe table to bending and twisting in all direction is very importantbecause in railwayv cars, particularly, passengers are likely to sit onthe edge of a'table.

4 tion. The backs hold the arm rests forward against the pedestals. Thebraces [4 except at the front end are covered and concealed by the armrests. One table serves the occupants of two adjacent seats.

This seat construction is inexpensive to manuiacture, provides an easymethod of assembly and is not readily taken apart except by authorizedpersons having suitable tools.

While one embodiment of the invention has I been described in detail forthe purpose of illustration, it is to be understood that there may bevarious modifications within the scope of the invention.

Besides its artistic appeal and its mechanical" strength, the outwardlycurved pedestal has the further advantage of placing thetable top outwhere it is convenient andclear of the space hetween seated passengers,while at the same time keeping thebase inwardly where it will notinterfere with the feet of p ssengers.

Apreferred form of table top mounting where a large top is used is shownin Figs. ll and 12. Here the upper end of the pedestal] l is iarcuatelycut to horizontally extending cylindrical form. and welded to atopanchorage I? in' the form of-a metal tube. To the end'sYof thetube thereare welded brackets l2a having horizontal top flanges tdwhich the tabletop issecured .by screws 24".. It will be obvious that this mountingprovides-great resistance of the table to bending in ll i e t n Asstated above, while the table has pronounced advantages when used alone,it has further advantages when used with a sofa having arm'rests.

The sofalherein illustrated comprises, inaddition to the seat base 22, aback support 21 having loops 28 near the top adapted to receive hooks29st removable seat backs to. "At their lowe'r ends the seat backs 36are provided'with depending projections 3I adapted to beheld by loops,screws, or any suitable means to the back support. The back support isprovided with cups or recesses adapted to allow the screws 25, of thebrackets to pass through the bottom and find firm securement in the wall11. The back support is spaced from the wall. I! and open at the top toallow hot air to rise irom heaters located behind the seats. 1 v

The seats also include cushions 32 and arm rests 3 35 adapted to fitbetween the cushions.

The arm rests are U-shaped and, as shown in Fig.- 6, are adapted duringassembly to be dropped down over brace tubes M with their lower edgesbetween two cushions 32 which have previously been put inplace Before anarm rest is dropped fully down and while its lower edge is located abovethe level of the cushions, a filler block or blocks 35 of any desiredlength is placed between the ends of the U-sides and secured, as byscrews or the like. Also, a front filler block 36 is started upwardalong guides between the sides of the arm. Then when the arm is fullydown, the front spacer may be secured by screws or the like. If desired,a concave positioning member 31 may be secured to the lower end of thefront spacer block before it is used and this positioning member fitsagainst the rear side of the pedestal to hold the arm rest firmly inposition (see Fig. 5). After the arm .rests have been placed,- the backs30 are dropped down into posi- Vifhat is claimed is:

1. A seat-table unit comprising in combination, a pedestal disposedalongside a longitudinal plate forming part of the base of an arm seatmounted in front of a side wall, a recessed plate welded to the rear ofthe pedestal and to the seat base, a clamp embracing said pedestal andsecured "to the base plate, saidfp'ed'e'stal bein curved forwardin frontof the arm of the seat, a top'se'cured on the upperend of the curvedpedestal portion, a lateral brace welded to. the rear of the pedestalalong the curve and extending through'the seat arm to an anchorage atsaid wall, said arm being U sh'aped and having vertical movementdownward on said brace before assembly and at" its lower end fittingbetween adjacent cushions of the seat.

2. A seat-table unit comprising in combination, a pedestal secured inirontofthe seat, a table top on said pedestal, a brace rod secured tothe rear side of. said pedestal and extending to an anchorage at therear of the seat, an arm for said seat havingfvertical' movement on saidrod before final assembly position, said arm at its lower end fittingbetween seat cushions and, when in final position fitting at its endsbetween the pedestal and seat backs, and meansinsertable in the armbelow the rod iorholding the arm down in final assembly position.

3. A seat-table unit comprising in combination, a base member extendingacross'the front of a, seat, a rigid pedestal secured at its base tosaid base member so as to be held against movement in the vertical planeof said base member, said pedestal being relatively straight verticallyat its lower end and being curved outwardtoward its upper; end away fromthe plane of said base member and seat front, a table top secured on thetop end of said curved upper end of the pedestal, and a rigid bracesecured to the rear side of said pedestal near its upper end andextending transversely of said plane in a g nerally horizontal,direction to a fixed anchorage at the rear of the seat to resistmovement of the pedestal transversely of the planeof said base member.

4. A seat-table unit comprising'in combination, a vertically deep'baseplate extending across the front of the seat, a rigid pedestal securedat its base to said plate which holds the pedestal rigidly againstmovement in the plane of the plate, said pedestal being relativelystraight vertically at its lower end and being curved outward towarditsupperend away from the plane of said plate andseat front, a table topsecured on the top end of said curved upper end of the pedestal, and arigid brace secured to the rear side of said pedestal nearitsjupper endand extending transversely of said plane to a fixed anchorage at therear 9f the seat. to resist movement of the pedestal transversely of theplane of said base member.

5. A seat-table unit comprising in combination, a vertically deep baseplate extending across the front of the seat, a rigid pedestal securedat its base to said plate which holds the pedestal rigidly againstmovement in the plane of the plate, said pedestal being relativelystraight vertically at its lower end and being curved outward toward itsupper end away from the plane of said plate and seat front, a cross-barsecured to the upper end of said pedestal in a plane parallel to theplane of said plate,'tabl'e top supporting brackets secured to the endsof said cross-bar, and a rearwardly extending rigid lateral bracesecured to the rear side of said pedestal near its upper end andextending transversely of said plate plane to a fixed anchorage at therear of the seat to resist movement of the pedestal transversely of theplane of said base member.

6. A seat-table unit comprising in combination, a rigid tubular metalpedestal having a vertically relatively straight lower portion securedat its lower end to the floor at the front of a seat and having an upperportion curved outward toward its upper end away from the front of theseat, a rearwardly extending rigid tubular metal brace disposed in theplane of pedestal curvature welded to the rear side of the pedestal nearits upper end, an anchorage for said brace at the rear of the seat, atubular metal cross bar disposed in a plane perpendicular to the planeof curvature welded to the upper end of the pedestal, and metal platetop support brackets welded to the ends of said cross bar.

7. A seat-table unit comprising in combinaa top fixture for a horizontaltable top secured to the top end of the pedestal, and a rearwardlyextending horizontal rigid brace secured to the rear side of thepedestal near its upper end on the convex side of its curvature, theother end of the brace being secured to a fixed anchorage at the rear ofthe seat, the anchorage for the lower end of the pedestal providingstrong resistance to movement in aplane perpendicular to said brace.

8. A seat-table unit comprising in combination, a rigid pedestal havinga vertically relatively straight lower portion secured at its lower endto the floor at the front of a seat and having an upper portion curvedoutward toward its upper end away from the front of the seat, arearwardly extending rigid brace rigidly secured to the rear side of thepedestal near its upper end and secured at its other end to an anchorageat the rear of the seat, and a top support rigidly setion, a rigidpedestal having a vertical lower portion secured at its lower end to thefloor in front of an arm seat and a curved upper portion extending awayfrom the front of the seat, a top secured on said pedestal, a rearwardlyextending rigid brace rigidly secured at one end to the rear side of thepedestal and at the other end to an anchorage behind the seat, theintermediate part of said brace passing through the arm of the seat.

10. A seat-table unit comprising in combination, a rigid pedestal havinga vertically relatively straight lower portion secured at its lower endto a seat base by an outer clamp and a recessed plate welded to the backof the pedestal and attached to the seat base, the pedestal having acurved upper portion extending away from the front of the seat, a topsecured on said pedestal, and a rigid brace rigidly secured to the rearside of said pedestal near its upper end and to an anchorage at the backof the seat.

11. A seat-table unit comprising in combination, a rigid pedestalhaving, a vertical lower portion secured at its lower end to the floorin front of a seat, the pedestal having a curved upper portion extendingaway from the front of the seat, the seat being mounted in front of awall and having a back support disposed in front of the wall, a topsecured on the upper end of said pedestal, and a rearwardly extendingrigid brace secured to said pedestal near its upper end, the brace atits rear end entering a recess in the back support and being anchored tothe wall.

ALBERT o. DEAN. WILLIAM H. CHANDLEE, JR.

REFERENCES" CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Laham Sept. 5, 1944

